Challenge Accepted
by GeneHarlow
Summary: Norma and Alex face a sexual problem and decide to tackle it together... ;)


**No-one requested this - I just think it's a kinda cute/ kinda awkward/ kinda sad idea. And I was also going for something a little more... grounded, I guess? I'm all for fics where men are all absolute stallions and all women are wanton sex goddesses and everyone has 85 orgasms and cuddle up together in post-coital bliss without peeing first? (That's not good for your vagina.) But sex isn't always like that? It's not always quite so easy and perfect, especially not for someone with Norma's history? Hope you like it, even though it's a bit of a strange concept...?**

* * *

Norma Bates couldn't come.

And Alex was deeply ashamed of himself for taking as long to notice as he did. They'd been married about a week, settling into married life as though they'd been married for years, not days and everything felt right, like they were exactly where they were meant to be. Except for one aspect.

They'd had sex a handful of times already, and he'd been so caught up in finally having Norma Bates in his arms, right where he'd wanted her for so long, that he hadn't noticed anything amiss, until that morning.

He'd waited for the feel of her hands clutching desperately at his back, her nails digging in, while she let out the same perfect moan she always did, before he followed suit, moaning into her hair as he spilled into her. It'd only been as he'd pulled back to look at her, that he'd caught her staring blankly at the wall for a split second, looking composed as ever. She quickly rearranged her face into a dreamy smile, her breaths suddenly panting out hard, her eyes half closed, and he frowned.

"Morning..." She whispered, leaning up to peck his lips, while he carried on staring down at her, his eyes darting down to her neck and her chest, looking for some kind of signs of a flush there. She was perfect as ever, her skin pale and beautiful, no sign of a blush colouring her chest or her cheeks. A slight flicker of panic crossed her face for a second as he frowned down in confusion at her.

"Did you just..." He started, feeling incredibly juvenile for having to ask. She bit her lip like she was silently begging him not to finish his question. "Did you just fake that?" He mumbled out, feeling his cheeks colour at the question.

"What? No." She said immediately, much too fast to be believable.

He pushed himself up, sliding out of her and leaning back on his haunches, pulling the sheet around his waist, cocking his head like a confused puppy.

She sat up slowly, smoothing her chemise back down over her thighs, pulling the straps back up her shoulders, tucking her breasts away, casting her eyes down the whole time.

"I'm just tired." She mumbled out suddenly, glancing up at him uncertainly when it felt like it had been an age since he had said anything.

"You went to bed before I did." He said, before he could stop himself, confusion clouding his mind. He glanced at the clock. "You had like, nine hours sleep." His tone came out much more accusing than he meant it to, and she floundered in front of him, crossing her arms defensively across her chest, gazing out of the window unhappily.

"I just..." She started, and he suddenly realised how accusing he sounded, suddenly springing forward, making her jump. He knelt in front of her, reaching to gently cup her face, ducking to make eye contact with her.

"Hey, hey... It's ok." He said quietly, and she glanced up at him uncertainly.

She opened her mouth to speak and then shook her head, her eyes darting down to where her hands were nervously twisting together.

"What is it? Is it me? Is it something I've done that you don't-"

She cut him off, her eyes shining as she looked up at him.

"No, no. It's not you. I just... _cant_." She said the last word very deliberately, her tone pointed, and he stared at her for a moment, before his mouth dropped open and he gasped as he realised what she meant.

"What? Like, ever?" He blurted out before he could stop himself, pleased when she rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, yeah." She said, like he was being ridiculous, and he breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "I mean, by myself." She added quietly, a blush creeping into her cheeks and his mouth fell open again, while he sat back, rubbing his hand through his hair, not quite knowing what to say.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He said finally, and she shrugged down at her hands, looking like a nervous teenager, not a grown adult woman.

"Because... it's embarrassing." She said, shrugging like it was no big deal, even while her eyes filled with tears. "I haven't always had... good experiences... With men." She added awkwardly.

His breathed hitched as he watched her rub at her finger nervously, his heart breaking for her.

"And I just... _can't._ Not with someone."

He didn't know what to say, watching as a single tear rolled down her cheek, reaching forward automatically to brush it away.

"I'm sorry." She breathed out and he sprang forwards again, wrapping his hands around her and pulling her onto his lap.

"Hey. Stop. It's ok."

She pressed her face against his neck, sniffling a little.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to fake it with me?" He murmured against her neck, hating that she had put his happiness above her own, hating that she only cared about pleasing him. What kind of husbands had she had before?

"I still like being with you."

He shook his head gently and she protested.

"I do! I promise. I like... being intimate with you. Even if I don't... ya know." She whispered shyly against his ear, and he could feel the heat from her face against his cheek.

"I still enjoy it." She said in a small voice, and he believed her. He really did. But that wasn't enough for him.

"Challenge accepted." He said suddenly, and she pulled back to look at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Challenge accepted."

"Alex. No-"

He brushed the hair away from her face tenderly, leaning in to press a soft kiss against her jaw.

"Norma Bates. I'm gonna make you come, if it's the last thing I do."

* * *

He started that same night, scooping her up as soon as he got into the house, only stopping to carry her back down the steps when she squealed that she had a pot of marinara sauce cooking on the stove. He allowed her to turn it off before picking her up again, carrying his giggling, squealing wife up the stairs and depositing her gently on the bed.

Her giggles subsided as he laid her down gently, the smile slowly fading from her face as he pulled back to gaze at her lovingly.

"What?" She blurted out, as he smiled at her gently.

"You just look beautiful today."

She smiled shyly, turning her head to the side, and he took the opportunity to lean in and capture her ear lobe, tugging it gently between his teeth, before returning, sucking it hard. She gasped, craning her neck, giving him better access, as his hand trailed very gently down her sides, sliding over the side of her breast, over the curve on her waist and down onto her hip. His lips drifted from her ear lobe, to her neck, kissing a path down the tendon there, his tongue flicking out to make contact with her skin first each time he pressed a new kiss there.

He reached her collarbone, sucking a little before his hands drifted to the front of her shirt, undoing a single button, before dipping his head to kiss the newly exposed skin. He repeated the move, undoing each button tantalisingly slowly, bending to press soft wet kisses in the shallow valley between her breasts. He tugged her shirt from her skirt, finishing undoing the buttons, spreading the fabric out, revealing an expanse of pale skin, and a simple lacey grey bra.

She gasped as he suddenly clambered on top of her, straddling her thighs, and he dropped down to swallow her gasp, kissing her passionately, letting her lead the kiss, waiting for her tongue to dart out to lick at his bottom lip, before his joined hers. He was content just to kiss her for a while, letting her take control, his hands brushing against her hair as he held his weight up off her, feeling her hands running up and down his back, eventually tugging at his shirt, breaking their kiss to pull it over his head.

Her hands ran over his bare chest for a second, smiling up at him, and he ducked his face again, once against kissing that same path down her chest, but this time sliding his tongue against the edge of the lace, tracing the cup of her bra. She let out a soft moan and he smiled against her flesh, his hand slinking behind her, sliding underneath her back.

"It clasps in the front." She breathed out, sounding like she'd forgotten how her voice worked, and his hands obediently moved to the front of her bra, flicking open the clasp and pulling the cups apart, splaying them out and burying his face between her breasts. One hand slid to cup her breast, while his face pressed against the other one, flicking his tongue back and forth over her nipple. He sucked gently, feeling triumphant when she moaned, arching her back into his touch, and then grazed his teeth over her stiff peak, earning himself a shrill gasp. He swapped sides, swapping one hand for the other, lavishing the same attention on her other breast, his other hand lightly kneading and squeezing, never still, never dormant.

"Ahh..." She moaned out gently, and he moved on, kissing a path down the taut line of muscle down her stomach, shimmying down her body, undoing the zip at the side of her skirt. He chanced a glance up at her, noticing the way she was panting at the ceiling, biting her lip nervously, her hands splayed out either side of her head.

"Ok?" He muttered against her hip bone, as he started inching her skirt down her thighs. He froze, waiting for her to answer him.

"Yeah." She muttered, finally glancing down at him, flashing him a tight smile. He flung the maroon corduroy behind him, before grinning up at her, his nails trailing gently over the damp fabric of her panties, making her squirm against him.

He repeated the movement, before hooking his fingers into her underwear, sliding them down slowly, hearing her breathing change, giving away her nerves.

Parting her legs gently, he pressed a kiss against the inside of her thigh, biting down a little, before soothing the mark with his tongue. He smiled up at her, licking his lips seductively as he lowered his face to her core, lapping at her gently. She flinched a little at the feeling, her breathing hitching in her throat as he found her clit, swirling his tongue slowly, speeding up gradually. One single digit slipped inside her, feeling her tense up a little, her hands clutching at the sheets either side of her and he pulled back, glancing up to see her staring at the ceiling, biting her lip, her shoulders tense and tight.

"You ok?" He muttered, curling his finger up,and dragging it forwards, frowning at her lack of reaction.

"Mm hm." She mumbled brightly, nodding at him, sighing a little.

He returned to his ministrations with a renewed energy, alternating between sucking and lapping and flicking his tongue back and forth and circling his tongue in complicated little circles, while his finger curled inside of her, casting his eyes up at her the whole time, watching for any change in reaction. She flinched and squirmed a few times, though not in a particularly positive way, and he stopped whatever he was doing with every little jolt of her body, changing tact, determined to find something she liked. Gentle little laps seemed to get the best reaction, watching as her eyes drifted shut, her body finally relaxing a little, but it never seemed to go anywhere, more than a few appreciative little sighs.

Alex thougth of himself as a good lover. He'd never had this problem before, always able to tune in to the bodies of the women he slept with, always finding what they wanted, but Norma was a mystery to him. This was his ace card - This was what he was good at and he enjoyed it. He genuinely enjoyed gazing up at women through his dark lashes, watching as he made them writhe and moan with his mouth and his hands, and over the years he'd perfected the technique. Or so he thought?

He slowed a little as his jaw started the ache and he managed to get cramp in his tongue, his brain drifting off to wonder if he'd ever had cramp in his tongue before, when he glanced up at her to find her staring down at him sadly.

"Just... stop." She whispered, and he kissed her gently, before withdrawing from her, his hands stroking soothingly up and down her thighs.

She noticed the look of disappointment on his face and sat up a little.

"I liked it." She said suddenly, assuring him and he flashed her a little smile. "I'm sure it worked with all the other girls of White Pine Bay...?" She said a little bitterly, and he slid back up her body, smiling innocently at her.

"Other girls? What other girls?" He said, wide eyed, and she rolled her eyes at him, flopping back against the pillow, letting out a growl of frustration with herself.

"I'm sorry." She puffed out, and he pulled her hand away from where it was covering her eyes, pressing a kiss against her palm.

"It's ok." He murmured, nuzzling his cheek against her hand, as she glanced down at the bulge that had been pressing insistently against his jeans the whole time.

"Lemme-" She started, sitting up and moving to dip her head down, gasping as his hands shot out to stop her, pulling her back up to lie next to him.

"No."

"But-"

"I said no." He said, gently, but insistently, pulling the sheet up over them, leaning back against the pillows and wrapping his arm around her. She nuzzled against him, taking a shaky breath, her finger casually rubbing under her eye in the way that usually meant she might be about to cry.

"I'm sorry." She muttered again, sniffling slightly.

"Stop it." He hooked one finger under her shin, tilting her head up to him, smiling sweetly at her. "It's ok." He implored her to believe him, leaning down to kiss her softly and she gasped at the unfamiliar taste of herself on his lips.

He'd never felt so unsure of himself - He felt like he was 16 again, knowing nothing about girls, or their bodies, feeling frustrated when his high school girlfriend wasn't immediately moaning and screaming like the girls on the VHS videos his dad had hidden behind the TV cabinet. He knew better now though. He could be patient.

"Rome wasn't built in a day." He reminded her, kissing her forehead and holding her tighter.

* * *

The next night, he actually let her make dinner, and they ate companionably, with him helping her wash the dishes afterwards, bumping his hip lightly against hers, loving the way she giggled brightly at him. They were so good at this, so perfect for this whole husband and wife thing - Why couldn't they keep it up when they went upstairs?

But they couldn't. He took his time, slowly undressing her, kissing her tenderly, letting her set the pace all over again, before he slowly slid inside her, watching her face intently the whole time. He thrust into her gently, leaning down to kiss her neck for a moment before pushing himself up again, gazing down at her.

"Stop watching me." She breathed out, a small smile playing on her lips, as her eyes flickered open, her hand reaching up to cover his eyes for a moment.

He giggled a little.

"But I-"

"It's not helping!" She protested, her tone a little more serious now, as she withdrew her hand, letting it flop next to her on the pillow.

"Ok, ok." He muttered, kissing her jaw a little. "Let's try..." He trailed off as he suddenly wrapped his hands around her, rolling them so she was now on top.

"Ooh!" She let out a surprised little noise, settling her weight more comfortably, sitting up and pressing her hands against his chest.

She rocked her hips experimentally, a frown of concentration furrowing her brow as she set up a tentative, faltering rhythm.

"Yes..." He murmured encouragingly, and her eyes flew open, her fingers pressing against his lips.

"Shhh..." She muttered in annoyance, frowning down at him, before her eyes fluttered closed again, her hips still moving in uncertain, hesitant little circles. His hands flew to her ass, urging her on, and she gasped a little, quickening her pace slightly.

"That's it..." He mumured, and she froze, glaring down at him.

"Alex! I'm serious! Stop!" He held his hands up in mock surrender. "And stop looking at me!"

"What else am I supposed to look at?" He protested, a wicked glint in his eyes, as his hands sliding back down her sides to her waist, giving her a little squeeze to get her moving again.

She tossed her head back, shaking her hair out of her face, biting her lip in concentration, just as he grabbed her hand from where it was resting on her chest, sucking her fingers into his mouth. Her mouth opened to ask what he was doing, when he pushed her hand down between her legs, above where their bodies were joined.

She snatched her hand away, shooting him a steely look, and he made to grab her hand again, trying it push her fingers against her clit, frowning when she resisted.

"Touch yourself." He whispered sexily.

"Alex..." She whined, leaning down to kiss him, wrenching her hand from his grasp. "No." She muttered shyly.

"Why not?" He mumbled against the corner of her mouth and she shot up again, ceasing her movements completely and scowling down at him.

"Because I don't want to." She clarified suddenly, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by his never ending scrutiny of her. "Because this is too much pressure! I'm sick of you treating me like I'm some problem that needs fixing."

"I'm trying here, Norma." He said quietly, shaking his head angrily, and she softened a little.

"I know." She stroked her hands down his chest. "But this is too much. It's just... It's too much." She said sadly, glancing up to find him puffing out an irritated breath.

"I don't know what you want me to do, Norma?"

She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say, floundering a little under his frustrated, weary gaze.

"I..." She started, and he sighed, starting to sit up.

"Let's just stop." He said, sounding drained by the whole thing and she pushed him back down, rolling her hips again.

"No!" Her hands moved to his shoulders, pressing him down. "No, I don't want to stop. It's fine... Really." She said, much too brightly, and he puffed out a little mirthless laugh.

"It's weird, Norma. This is weird." She leaned down close to him, kissing him sweetly for a moment, feeling like he hated her and was tired of her and wished he'd never married his cold, frigid wife.

"I want you to..." She started, trying to keep her tone seductive and breathy, trailing off, as he sighed with irritation and she felt him growing colder and more distant under her.

"Fine." He snapped, as he grasped her hips tightly all of a sudden, bending his knees to start thrusting up into her, hard and fast. She gasped at the sudden change, clinging on to his shoulders as his hands held her in place, while he roughly and quickly found his release. She mewled a little as his thrusts grew harder and more erratic and he felt a flicker of guilt as he groaned against her shoulder, using his grip on her to crash her down onto him a few more times, spilling out into her before his movements slowed to a stop.

For a few moments, there was just the sound of their ragged panting filling the room, as his senses returned to him and his hands slid weakly from where they had been digging in too hard to her skin. He opened his mouth to speak, an apology already forming on his lips, but she lifted herself off him before he could voice it, letting out a soft whimper that made him disgusted with himself. She rolled off him, resisting the hand that shot out to gently grasp her wrist, trying to stop her, shooting him a dark look before stalking across the bedroom.

"Norma, I-" He started desperately.

"I have to pee!" She yelled back, slamming the door behind her.

He sat up against the headboard, pulling his boxers back on awkwardly and rubbing his hand across his eyes, hating himself. He felt like he had used her, hurt her even, and for what? Because she had told him to? She hadn't told him to do _that_. To grab her like a rag doll, to use her body to find his release, to take his frustrations about the situation out on his beautiful, fragile wife. That wasn't him. He scrubbed his hand through his hair, suddenly wishing he could undo the last ten minutes more than anything in the world. Maybe he wasn't much better than her last husband?

His tortured reverie was broken as she returned, her robe wrapped firmly around her, purposefully avoiding his gaze as she haughtily swept across the room, delicately slipping back into bed.

"Norma, I'm sorry." He choked out, as she slid down under the covers, immediately facing away from him.

"I know." She shot back immediately.

There was a long silence, where he just looked at the back of her head, staring at her blonde curls glowing in the faint moonlight sneaking in through the curtains, wishing he knew the right thing to say and the right thing to do.

"This is frustrating for me too, ya know." She reminded him, her tone much softer, and much sadder now.

"I know." He said quietly, shuffling down under the cover, folding his hands on his stomach.

"I'm just-" He started, his tone tortured, and she cut him off gently.

"Alex, just... Just leave it, ok? Go to sleep." She sounded exhausted and broken and he'd never hated anyone the way he hated himself right then. He nodded to himself, preparing to get up, figuring it would be easier if he went to sleep in the guest room, when her hand suddenly reached out behind her, searching blindly for his hand in the darkness. He took her hand, letting him pull his arm across her, rolling onto his side to wrap himself around her.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her hair, and she just nodded, sniffling a little, before they both drifted into an uneasy, broken sleep.

* * *

"Are you ok?" Was the first thing he said to her the next day, coming down to find her making breakfast like nothing was wrong. She turned, shooting him a small smile that didn't quite meet her eyes, nodding at him.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

He crossed the room, taking the batter-covered spoon out of her hands and putting it back into the bowl, taking his face into his hands, gazing at her seriously.

"I'm so sorry." He said sincerely, and her hands slid up to rest on his shoulders, her eyes darting wildly all over his face, before she smiled at him.

"I know." She breathed out gently, leaning up to kiss him, letting him know he was forgiven.

She turned back to her pancake batter, stirring it as she gazed out of the window.

"I'm sorry you're mad at me." She said, somewhat coldly.

"I'm not... I'm not mad at you." He said quizzically, addressing the back of her head.

"You fucked me like you were mad at me?" She reminded him and he crumpled behind her, his whole body sagging, reaching to grasp her elbow lightly, spinning her back round to face him.

"I'm sorry." He said again, resting his forehead against hers. "I'm not mad at you. I'm... mad at the situation."

She cast her eyes down, biting her lip.

"So am I."

"It's just... It's frustrating because I want you to feel what I feel. I want to show you how much I love you and-"

"I know." She cut him off, her hands winding around his waist, sighing at the floor.

"This isn't easy for me. I've never had this kind of relationship before." She pressed her face against his chest, apparently finding it easier to open up now they weren't looking directly into each other's eyes. "If you knew half of what I'd been through, you'd be surprised I even let you touch me at all." Her voice was tiny, muffled against his shirt, and he sighed at the ceiling, hugging her closer, his heart breaking for her.

"So tell me?" He offered quietly, desperately not wanting to hear any of it, but wanting her to be able to open up to him, and tell him anything if it would make her feel better. He knew what Keith had done, and hadn't been able to resist reading some of the fragments of police reports from during her marriage with Sam, immediately wishing he hadn't. He could hazard a guess as to the sort of life she'd had with him, and he felt her shake a little in his arms, obviously reliving something terrible.

"I don't want to tell you. Not right now. Not yet." She muttered sadly, and he was half relieved, half saddened by her words.

"I don't want to talk about it. I just need you to understand... sex has never been about pleasure for me."

He felt like he was going to cry, hating the life Norma Bates had had before him, wishing he'd met her years ago, wishing he could have loved her for their whole lives.

"No-one ever cared. Not really." She rubbed her face against his shirt, and he could tell she was crying now. His hand stroked her hair gently, not knowing what else to do.

"No-one's ever been kind to me. Never. Not till you. Do you have any idea what that's like?" He pressed a kiss against the top of her head, not trusting himself to speak for a moment.

"But I care? You get that right? I care."

She pulled back to look at him, smiling gratefully at him.

"I know. I know that. But it's not that simple."

He nodded at her, lowering his head a little to gaze imploringly in her eyes, his thumbs wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"Ok, ok. Let's just... take the pressure off, ok?"

She nodded, her whole body relaxing a little, her face softening, allowing him to pull him against her again, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Alex? I'm home?" She yelled, when she got home later that day. "Sorry I'm late! There was an accident on the freeway and-"

"Norma?" He yelled from upstairs and she jumped, assuming he was going to be in the living room.

"I'm in the bathroom." He shouted down the stairs and she frowned a little.

"Erm... ok?" She went to put the groceries down, before returning to the bottom of the stairs and waiting there with her hand on her hip, smiling in confusion up the staircase.

"Can you come up here a minute?"

Her nose wrinkled as she chuckled out a surprised laugh.

"Erm... no? I'm good, thanks." She laughed brightly.

"Just come up here." He hollered back and she furrowed her brow, not really sure they were at the point in their marriage when she really wanted to join in the bathroom, but obediently trotting up the stairs, pushing open the door tentatively.

She gasped as she took in the room, rose petals and candles covering every surface, a bubble bath waiting next to a pleased-looking Alex, who was holding his arms out.

"Ta-da!"

Her face broke into a beaming smile, darting around the room, taking in the soft, flickering light, flickering to the sink behind him.

"What is that?" She smirked at him, as he followed her gaze.

"Oh." He grinned at her. "You didn't have an ice bucket. I improvised." She rolled her eyes at the sinkful of ice, with the champagne bottle propped up against the faucet.

She walked into the room, and he jumped, rushing over to the sink and pouring her a glass, handing it to her like a a proud child. He knew he'd done well, so there was no use pretending he hadn't, and she took the glass gratefully, spinning round a little in awe, taking in the whole room again.

"Do you mind?" She said quietly, turning away from him, jerking her head to the zip at the back of her dress and he sprang forward, gently pulling the zip down and then watching as she stepped forward, placing her glass down and sliding her dress off. She glanced over her shoulder quizzically at him, taking in the awkward way he was hovering behind her.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to it?" He started towards the door and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Take your clothes off." She demanded, and he stopped, unsure of himself, not wanting to assume that she was going to want him to stay, but hoping that she would.

"You sure?"

She smirked at him, reaching behind her to undo her bra and throwing it at his face, before he could react.

"Get in the tub, Sheriff." She perched on the edge of the tub, unashamedly watching him as he undressed, taking long sips of her champagne as she oggled him. He smirked at her as he divested himself of his boxers, suddenly feeling the slight twinge of self consciousness as he quickly sank into the water, leaning back against the end of the tub.

She placed her glass on the edge of the bath, sliding her panties down her legs, bending down teasingly slowly, before straightening up and stepping delicately into the hot water, turning her back to him and sinking down under the bubbles. His legs drifted open, making room for her as she gently settled herself down, her back against his chest, nuzzling her cheek against his.

There was a relaxed, companionable silence for a few moments, before she lunged forwards suddenly, sending water cascading over the sides. She reached for their glasses, her ass bobbing just out of the water and Alex groaned at the sight.

Norma remained oblivious, sinking back down against him, reaching over her shoulder to pass him his drink, taking a long sip of her own.

"This is nice." She said dreamily, her hips snuggly fitting between his thighs, relaxing her whole body against him.

"It is." He agreed, draining his whole glass in one gulp and managing to reach behind him to deposit it on the counter.

"Ya know, I never had a bath as an adult before." He mused.

"What? Never?" She smiled incredulously over her shoulder at him and he nuzzled a damp curl out of her face with his nose, shaking his head.

"I'm not really much of a bubble bath kind of guy."

"And now?" She trailed her hands through the water, cutting paths through the layer of bubbles absentmindedly. "You a fan?"

His hands brushed against her waist and he leaned in close to her ear to answer.

"I'm a fan of the wet naked woman between my legs...?"

She giggled and he felt the vibrations through both their bodies, before she finished her glass, holding it out like the queen for him to put it down on the ground for her, his long arms able to reach with ease.

They settled into a tranquil silence, feeling their muscles relax into the rose scented water, his hands naturally drifting to wrap around her waist.

"I'm so relaxed." She mumbled out, and he smiled against her cheek, pecking her softly.

"Good." There was a pause. "I wanted to make it up to you." He added quietly.

"I don't want you to think I'm some... _brute_ , who only wants one thing from you." He said, and she chuckled a little.

"I don't." She assured him quietly.

"I can't imagine what..." He started, taking a deep breath, glad he didn't have to look into her eyes while they spoke. He tended to get lost in those sad azure pools. "I'm sorry things have been so hard for you." She nodded, reaching to cover his hand where it was pressing against her stomach. "I'm not gonna pressure you. The ball's in your court, ok? Whatever you want."

She turned her face to him, gazing at him in shock, her mouth dropping open like no-one had ever said anything that kind to her before. He wondered if anyone had? She leaned up to kiss him, opening her mouth to him, kissing him hard, till her neck began to ache from the angle. She broke away from him breathlessly, panting up him shyly, as she squeezed his hand, raising it up to cup her breast, her eyes drifting shut as he grasped her lightly.

Her hand remained pressed over his, holding his hand against her as he massaged gently, before he pinched her nipple, rolling it between his fingers, making her arch her back into his touch. Her other hand drifted from where it had been resting against his thigh, to grab his other hand, sliding it down lower, under the water, nervously pushing it between her legs.

"Are you sure?" He murmured and she nodded, her eyes drifting shut, as she slid her own hand between his and her body, beginning to touch herself. She opened her thighs more, hooking her ankles on the outside of his, spreading her legs to make room for his hand to rest over the top of hers. Her other hand pressed against the back of his, guiding him to follow her, and he obliged, covering her hand, feeling her circle her clit in small, slow circles.

His lips found her ear lobe, tugging gently, as one hand carried on following her movements, the other still squeezing and massaging her breast, holding her tight against him.

"Ah..." She breathed out, and he smiled, breathing slowly, trying to commit every tiny movement of her fingers to memory, trying to file it away for future reference.

She bucked her hips a little, her breathing quickening, her head dropping back against his shoulder, as her fingers sped up their movements, starting up a rapid, fluttering pattern, the circles giving way to a 'to and fro' motion. Her free hand dug into his forearm, her nails digging in and he relished the feel of it, as her soft, needy sighs gave way into quiet little moans, echoing around the bathroom.

She writhed against him, her hushed cries building to a crescendo, and, in a split second, she withdrew her hand briefly, sliding it over his and pushing his against her, swapping them over and guiding him through the last few rough motions, just in time to feel her quivering and fluttering under his hand. She quieted for a moment before letting out a shaky, surprised cry, slowly fading into a breathless laugh.

"Much better than the fake one." He muttered against her ear, after her breathing had begun to return to normal, and she huffed out a little giggle, flopping back against him bonelessly.

* * *

"Norma?" She heard the door slam shut and the sound of his keys hitting the kitchen table.

"Basement." She yelled back simply, listening to his footsteps down the steps behind her. She carried on folding the laundry, spreading out the seemingly endless supply of black t shirts over the top of the washing machine, as he came up behind her, pressing a soft kiss against her neck, his hands resting lightly on her hips. She smiled, spinning in his arms to lean up, pressing a kiss against his lips, her arms winding around his neck.

"Good day at work?"

"Highly average." He leaned forward, trying to capture her lips again, his hands drifting down her back to land on her ass, pulling her against him.

"I got shit to do, Alex." She whined, as he kissed her jaw and then her neck. She jerked her head back, pulling away from him and turning back to her task, rolling her eyes.

"These millions of black t shirts aren't gonna fold themselves." She reminded him, leaning across the machine, reaching for one that had slid to the back. "I got another load in now." She grumbled quietly, not noticing he'd stilled behind her, watching her ass hungrily as she bent forwards, reaching across the machine. "Honestly, you get a wholesale deal on em or-?"

She was cut off as his hands suddenly reached forward, grabbing her ass cheeks hard, and she straightened up, tutting as he squeezed and massaged her flesh.

"Alex, I have things to do..." She murmured, as her head dropped back a little against his shoulder, one of his hands sliding across her stomach.

"That's fine. You carry on. I'm not stopping you."

His lips found her jaw, one hand sweeping the hair away from her neck, pressing soft wet kisses against the side of her throat, her hands faltering and stilling on the shirt she had been folding.

He rubbed himself against her, letting her feed his need through their layers of clothes, pushing her against the washing machine, feeling the slight vibrations through her body. She moaned suddenly, and he froze at the sound, not entirely expecting it but delighted to hear it, pressing himself against her again, pressing her harder against the machine, watching has her hands shot out to steady herself.

"Shall we... " He grabbed at her hips hard, as she rolled them tentatively, jutting her ass out against him. "Shall we go upstairs?" He murmured, and she seemed to genuinely consider it for a moment, before the spin cycle started and she made up her mind.

"No. Here." She panted out, and he pushed against her again, this time pressing her hard against the shaking appliance, enjoying the feel of her body shaking with it, and the breathless moan she let out.

She thrust him backwards suddenly, and he took a stumbling step back, worried he'd done something wrong for a second, before she reached her hands between her body and the machine, needing the room to undo her pants, rushing to slide them down her legs, her underwear quickly following suit before bending down eagerly over the washing machine, spreading her legs a little.

For a second, he was almost too stunned to move, simply watching her for a second, before she cast him a needy glance over her shoulder, just as the machine picked up a notch, her eyes drifting closed of their own accord.

"What are you waiting for?" She panted out, and he needed no further invitation, undoing his belt and fly with eager, trembling hands, rushing to push his jeans and boxers down his legs and lining himself up with her entrance.

She moaned as he pushed inside her, tossing her head back, and he analysed the sound. It was nothing like the sounds she made the first time they were together, less perfect and rehearsed-sounding, more a guttural, natural sound that she couldn't help, louder than when his nervous, fumbling hands had touched her in the bathtub.

He moved quickly, with short shallow thrusts, urged on by her soft cries, watching as her hands fisted in the material of his shirt on the surface, twisting and grabbing at the black cotton, before releasing suddenly, and reaching behind her. She leaned up suddenly, changing their angle, reaching over her head to grab a fistful of his hair, tugging lightly.

"Slower." She panted out, and he obliged, grabbing her hips hard, slowing his pace, keeping his thrusts gentle.

"Harder." She instructed breathlessly, and he grinned against her shoulder, pleased she was finally taking control the way he wanted her to, more than willing to follow her request, slamming harder and slower into her. Each thrust drove her harder against the vibrating machine, eliciting a shrill, desperate gasp each time that was driving him crazy.

"Oh god." She flattened herself down on the washing machine, and his hand pressed against the centre of her spine, as her hips rolled in tiny little movements, her hands fisting hard in the fabric either side of her, her knuckles going white.

The washing machine picked up, kicking into the final stage of the wash, the vibrations shaking both their bodies, and she lifted her torso up, arching her back suddenly, pushing herself back up. He leaned forwards, covering her hands with his own, and she entwined their fingers.

"Oh I'm gonna... I'm gonna..." She mumbled out frantically, squeezing his fingers hard, and he pressed his face against her neck, kissing her, coaxing her on.

"Yes, yes..." He encouraged, as she shuddered and shook, silent for a second. He felt her body tightening around him as she let out a somewhat surprised-sounding scream, followed by a series of quietening moans. He followed her a moment later, finding his own release just as the spin cycle finished, his own groans seeming absurdly loud in the sudden silence.

The sounds of their breathing echoed around the room, as she flopped back down on top of the machine, pressing her cheek against a patch of cool metal between his many shirts, panting out satisfied breaths. He leaned over her, pressing a tired kiss against her cheek, chuckling softly to himself.

"Well, looks like I'll be helping with the laundry more?"

* * *

 **Merry ficmas!**


End file.
